Carly Vadnais, On the Go in Las Vegas

December 1, 2010

Grad in a "go, go, go" kind of job

By Carly Vadnais '10

With a major in public relations and a minor in theater, I graduated in May, packed my bags and headed for Vegas. I hit the ground running, starting work two days after graduation at Las Vegas' first PR firm, PR Plus, which was established in 1991 by Bradley alum, Laura Herlovich.

It's been an extremely busy and amazing five months. Each day goes by so quickly. A "typical day at the office" doesn't exist in PR, which is one of my favorite things about my job. No day is the same and working with a wide variety of clients has made me realize that I have a truly unique job.

A work day might involve meeting a television crew at 3:45 a.m. to set up and go live from a client's event, followed by dropping off food samples to TV and radio stations to promote a client's new menu. Next, I might go to an interview with a client, such as The History Channel's Pawn Stars or comedians Grandma Lee, Louie Anderson and George Wallace. I might then deliver cupcakes from Vegas' top cupcake bakery, The Cupcakery. At night I am often running a red carpet event at a nightclub or working a photo shoot. Somewhere in between, I find the time to get work done at the office. That includes writing press releases and contacting television, radio and print media to have my clients' events featured. I also schedule interviews, update clients' schedules and plan for upcoming events.

Being in public relations means constantly being on your toes. You never know when an interview might get scheduled at the last minute or when a TV crew might be heading to cover your event while you're on the other side of town. It's a go, go, go kind of job and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My education at Bradley certainly prepared me for this next step. Working in the Admissions Office taught me how to interact with people of all ages and from all regions. My PR classes showed me how to formulate, implement and analyze a campaign. Theater taught me how to be prepared in all situations and manage my time effectively. If I hadn't been encouraged to be so involved at Bradley, I wouldn't have become the person I am today. I am able to manage difficult situations, plan effectively and make the best of any situation I face.

Yes, my job can be stressful. Yes, I have long hours. Yes, I miss my family and friends. But at the end of the day, I am blessed to be employed in the current economy, and I'm blessed to have a job that challenges me and is fun and exciting. How many people who are 22 can say they are working in their dream job?